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Transcript

Transcript:

Christmas shopping in London. There’s nowhere like it in the world. When the West End Christmas lights go on and the big shops reveal their special Christmas window displays, it’s time for the festivities to begin.

Fortnum & Mason, here in Piccadilly, has been selling the finer things in life around the world for over three hundred years.

From chocolates to china, luxury goods are what Fortnum & Mason specialise in. And Christmas is their busiest time of the year.

…..

Today’s an important day. Parts of the Christmas window display have just arrived. Everything needs to be put in place. It’s a difficult job getting all of the items into the windows.

Paul Symes is the head of visual presentation and the creative force behind the Fortnum & Mason Christmas window display.

Amandeep: This is so exciting, Paul. You’ve allowed us behind the scenes in your Christmas shop window. Now tell me about your design this year.

Paul: It’s all about dancing, burlesque, theatre, shows and glamour and style.

Amandeep: And what are the challenges involved in designing something to this scale?

Paul: One of the challenges is trying to get it all to fit. There’s so much that you want to say and it’s trying to get it small enough to fit into just seven windows.

Amandeep: So Paul, you’re about to reveal your Christmas shop window. How nervous are you?

Paul: Very, very. I start getting nervous about a week before. A lot of effort goes into making sure that when we finally pull the curtains up, everyone’s happy.

…..

The Christmas story dates back two thousand years, but the way it's celebrated has changed a lot over time. Many Christmas traditions are actually quite recent. Fortnum & Mason have seen Christmas fashions change over the centuries. Archivist Dr Andrea Tanner is interested in the history of the store.

Amandeep: Andrea, when did Christmas shopping become such an important tradition?

Andrea: Well, in Britain, it really came with the Victorian era. It was when Queen Victoria married her German prince, Prince Albert, and he brought lots of Christmas traditions to Britain.

Amandeep: What’s your biggest-selling Christmas item?

Andrea: It’s a hamper. A hamper is a basket in which you find wonderful Christmas foods and drinks and we expect to sell around seven and a half thousand of those.

….

It’s almost time for the big moment. The windows are finally going to be revealed.

Discussion

Comments

In my country is more religious holiday. We have a tradition to have exactly 12 meals on the table, and the dinner may be started when the first star appears in the sky. On this day many people go to churches and visit their relatives.

Yes,I am looking forward to Christmas Day ,after today, it will be christmas day ,i am so excited now , in hong kong there are so many christmas trees and christmas lights on the street and the people sing christmas carols,hong kong people always eat christmas dinner with their family in a restaurant ,we often eat turkey,it will be 2016 soon ,what targets do you have for next year,i want to know ,tell me about them?

In Hong Kong, many people have a Christmas party with their friends and lots of children like writing Christmas cards to their friends.Also, Hong Kong people like watching Christmas lights in Tsim Sha Tsui at night. The lights are bright and beautiful.
And I prefer giving presents to others. I always spend some time to choose Christmas presents for my friends.

Hello! I am from Belarus! I am looking forward to Christmas! In our country there are some special traditions. And one of them is giving gifts to friends and family! But I prefer to receive them, because it is more interesting!!! :)

Hi! I am Varvara. I am from Belarus.
In my country there are a lot of traditions. The first tradition is decorating Christmas tree. It is wonderful and very beautiful.
The second tradition is to buy a lot of presents for all family:sprint, clothes, shoes and other. I like gining presents more, than receiving and everyone should fell Christmas miracle.
The third tradition is to have Christmas dinner. Yummy!
Every year on the first of January we dance and sing songs. I like this tradition very much!
And the firth tradition is writing Christmas list. Every year children write letter for Santa. I like this tradition!

I am from in Belarus.There are many traditions in Belarus,such as decorating streets with lights,having Christmas dinner and singing Christmas carols,telling Christmas stories.At Christmas night people pulling Christmas crackers.

I`m from Belarus.We celebrate Christmas on December 25th.There are many Christmas traditions in Belarus,such as having Christmas dinner,singing Christmas carols,decoraning streets with colourfull lights,telling Christmas stories,pulling crackers and fireworks and we hanging mistletoe over a doorway.At Christmas dinner we eat Christmas puding,roast turkey and differents salats.We put many presents under Christmas tree for each other.

Hi! I'm Yana. I'm from Belarus. Like all children I'm looking forward to Christmas. I think it's one of the most exciting holidays, something magic is in the air.
As for traditions, I think nothing special. Like all families we decorate a Christmas tree and have a traditional Christmas dinner. We cook chicken and meat. Me mum cooks a chocolate cake. At night we watch fireworks.

I'm look forward to Christmas because I love the Christmas, Christmas Time with lights on the streets, songs and others things.
In my country, Portugal , there are some traditions for example on night of 24 December , people eat codfish with patotoes and on 25 December people eat turkey , and there are others traditions

Do you look forward to Christmas? What Christmas traditions do you have in your country?
I'm not looking forward Christmas because I'm Muslim ,but in Egypt , Christmas is not very popular because Christians are not many ,although they are the 2nd biggest religion in Egypt , also we don't have big celebration for Christmas , but we have some celebrations for the New Year instead ! :D